A Touch of the Blues part 2
by vangiekitty
Summary: Hank and Rogue strike up a friendship based on mutual likes. I'm afrain if you haven't read part 1 you'll be a bit lost.


Disclaimer: not mine- I only wish!

Here is a little more of A Touch of the Blues, dedicated to the folks at the reguardinghank egroup. Sure could use some suggestions and observations guys! Thanks, vangiekitty

A Touch of the Bluespart 2

After that one enlightening evening in the coffee shop, things changed subtly between Hank and Rogue.They somehow seemed to run in to each other more often.And Rogue even ventured down to Hank's lab once or twice to lend or return a borrowed book. For having found that they both shared a love of reading, they were eager to share their favorite books with each other, like introducing much loved friends. Their discussions grew out of the books they shared and it wasn't long before Hank invited Rogue to Starbucks again and soon it was a weeklyritual which they began to call their "midnight coffee sessions".

Sometimes others of the team joined them and the discussions of books they were currently reading were lively and entertaining.It was at one of these sessions that Logan was made to admit that the Anne of Green Gables series was

"Pretty good." As he grudgingly put it. "But listen Bub," he growled menacingly at Hank who was sipping a double latte and balancing as usual on one of the rickety Starbuck's chairs, "If Gilbert dies o' that fever and he and Anne don't get together, I'll have yer guts fer garters! Why do all the books ya recommend ta me have ta be sad?"

"At a tense part in the book, are you Logan?" inquired the furry blue scientist easily. "But I think you can trust Lucy Maude Montgomery not to kill off one of her main characters in the middle of the series. After all, there are several books left you haven't read yet."

"There are? Oh yeah, there are." Logan sounded vastly relieved and Rogue, who had been silently listening to this exchange, couldn't help but smile. Logan thought he had them all snowed but his sensitive side was showing more and more since Hank had taken him under his wing, so to speak, and started recommending books. In fact, the whole team was changing in response to Hank's increased participation in group discussions and meetings, etc. What had caused him to change, she didn't consider, although the answer was there, right under her nose in the form of the growing friendship that was between them.

In fact, though the midnight coffee sessions were more lively on the nights when other team members tagged along, Rogue found she liked it best when only Hank and herself were present. It was so much more cozy. So much more… intimate.But she didn't let herself dwell long along that line of thought.It was pointless to wish for something she could never have, so she tried to keep herself from wishing in the first place.

Still, there was no denying that the conversations were more intense and personal when Rogue and Hank visitedStarbucks alone.It wasn't long before Rogue felt she could tell the sympathetic Hank **anything** and never fear having it repeated.Hank, in his turn, began to talk about his past, something he had rarely ever done, even with Bobby. Rogue was surprised to learn that he had been nearly as lonely and isolated as herself.

"But I burry myself in my work." He said simply."It isn't difficult to forget when I have something as fascinating and deadly as the Legacy Virus to distract me.It is truly a matter of life and dead- which adds, of course, to the interest." He sighed. "It's easy to forget how isolated I've let myself become when I'm completely submerged in a project."

"That's just how I feel about readin'" Rogue remarked. When you're deep inta a good book, like "Pride and Prejudice", for example, you can forget most anythin' and just imagine you're there, in the author's world. I wonder what it would've been like ta live back then?" she murmured, dreamily.

Hank was intrigued.Until recently, he had always supposed Rogue to be a practical sort of woman, not given to daydreams of any kind. But the more he got to know her, the more she surprised him. He loved the dreaming, gentle look that passed over her face at times like this when she seemed lost in another world.A faint flush had crept into her smooth skin and her dark eyelashes were nearly closed, brushing delicately along her creamy cheeks in bristly fans.

"Why does living in the era of Jane Austen appeal to you, my dear?" he asked gently. Rogue looked up and shrugged a bit sheepishly.

"Well, it's just that…" her eyes dropped and her voice hesitated a bit. "Just that I might have… fit in back then, ya see?"

"In what way?" Hank enjoyed drawing her out.

"Well, for one thing, the ladies all wore gloves." But that wasn't the real reason behind her daydream,Hank could plainly see.

"I assume that is not your only criteria for wishing to live in the world of "Pride and Prejudice." He surmised.

"No… I guess tha thing that really appeals ta me about that period in time was the touching.Or, really, tha lack of touching. Do you follow, Hank?"

"I think so, but please continue."

"Well, ya notice in the book how polite and formal everyone is to each other.I mean, the couples, they don't even hold hands 'till they're formally engaged, let alone kiss.In the society and times we live in, there's so much, well…" She indicated a young couple across the room from them who seemed to be completely oblivious to anyone but themselves.The girl was so far off her chair that she was practically into her boyfriend's lap and Hank wondered idly if the spindly chairs that Starbuck's provided were meant to endure the kind of abuse the loving couple was currently subjecting them to.

"Public Displays of Affection." He stated dryly, turning his head away from the site.It appeared that the young man was intent on performing a tonsillectomy on his date using only his tongue and it made Hank faintly ill to watch.

"Yeah." Rogue sighed softly, looking down at her own gloved fingers, tearing a napkin to bits. "It's… hard ta watch sometimes, ya know?"

"I know." Hank answered gently. He saw that she was very near tears and his heart ached for her, so beautiful, yet so solitary and untouchable. He wanted to take her mind off her troubles and so he tried to change the subject.

"Can I ask you a personal question, Rogue?" he asked, striving to keep his voice light.

"Sure, Sugah, anythin'." Her voice was low, her mind still preoccupied with other things.

"Do you think _I_ would have fit so neatly as yourself into Jane Austen's universe?"The unexpected question brought a smile, if not an outright laugh from the startled Rogue. She looked up at him and he was relieved to see that the silvery sheen of unshed tears had left her eyes.

"Why Sugah, your manners are courtly enough for Buckingham Palace. I'm sure you'd fit in just fine!" She said, ignoring the obvious question of appearance on purpose."Why do you ask?"

"Well, because much like yourself, I also wear gloves of a sort.Which I can unfortunately never take off."

Rogue looked uncertain. "Are ya speakin' metaphorically, Sugah, or what?" she asked, mystified.

"Oh no, I assure you I am being quite literal.You see, my fur extends to all parts of my anatomy, up to and including my palms and finger tips." He extended one huge, blue hand, palm side up under her gaze to demonstrate his point.

"Oh!" She said looking closely, "I had no idea, you can hardly see it."

"Yes, it is mercifully short in that area.I hardly notice it anymore though when I first became… the man you see today, it was a point of constant irritation for me.I am quite used to it now, however."

Rogue studied his palm as closely as she dared without risking it touching her face."The hairs are so tiny ya can't even see 'em, except under thalight!" she breathed, mesmerized at the way the ultra-short, glossy hairs glimmered when they caught the overhead light in just the right way. "Looks almost like… crushed velvet."

A laugh rumbled up from Hank's massive chest.

"I'm told that's what it feels like as well." He admitted, smiling a bit.

"Ya know," Rogue said, looking up, "I never even thought about it. I guess I just assumed…"

"That my hands were like anyone else's'? Actually, it is an assumption I encourage.Robert knows the truth but is under pain of death not to divulge the information."

"But why?" Rogue was genuinely puzzled.

"Well, it's silly, really.You know the activity that is said to cause hair to sprout on the palms of one's hands and also leads to blindness?" Hank raised one eyebrow suggestively.

Rogue caught his meaning at once and laughed.

"Oh yeah, I can see how tha guys would milk that one for all it's worth, Sugah! I'm sure Bobby teases ya plenty about it."

"Unmercifully." Hank replied with a grin.

"But Hank," Rogue continued slyly, "If you've got that "velvet touch" goin' for ya, ya shouldn't have ta indulge in _that_ activity very often.I imagine tha ladies love it! C'mon, admit it, did it drive Trish crazy or what?"

Hank blushed a little at her open teasing which had the effect of turning his face a sort of purplish-violet shade.

"Actually," he said in a dry voice.It annoyed Trish to no end. She always said she could never abide the feel of velvet. I think it… rubbed her the wrong way. Quite literally."

"What? The woman's an idiot!" proclaimed Rogue."Who doesn't like velvet?It's so soft and warm and… well, _velvety."_

"Alas, the charms of velvet were lost on Trish." Hank replied, still using that careful, dry tone. "It's certainly not the only reason we split up, but I'm sure it was somewhere on her grievance list."

It made Rogue sad to hear Hank talk this way. No wonder he'd been so subdued, so withdrawn since he and Trish broke up. It wasn't just his absorption in the search for a legacy cure. Obviously Trish had taken a large part of his self esteem with her when she left.It made Rogue angry to see her friend in such pain.What did Trish know? The woman was a fool, didn't know how lucky she was! If only she, Rogue, could be touched, _caressed_ by those velvety hands; she'd know how to appreciated the pleasure! Rogue cast about in her mind for a way to restore Hank's self esteem and she suddenly made a decision to tell him something she'd sworn to herself never to tell anyone…

More later. The conversation in the café isn't nearly finished but I am. It's late and I'm tired! vangiekitty


End file.
